111915-Horribly Horrible and Terribly Terrible
calamitousClotho CC began trolling cascadingCourtier CC at 05:58 -- -- cascadingCourtier CC is seething and pacing in the guest room Libby had given him. He hadn't even been able to undress before his sprite contacted him. The damn handmaidens sold them out so quickly. Fucking Jack. -- -- cascadingCourtier CC an idea struck and he raced out of the room and towards where the Audience Chamber was -- -- cascadingCourtier CC nothing strikes down a God like a much more powerful God -- CC: • The office is dark, and the floor still smells of bleach where the handmaids cleaned it earlier. You see someone has left the door to the audience chamber ajar, and a delicate silver cord dangles from the opening. • -- cascadingCourtier CC he slowly stalked towards the audience chamber, tossing out his last regrets. He knew exactly how terrible of an idea this was, but he was too angry to back down now. Jack was going to get what he deserved. Being tied to an "Outer God" was not a welcoming though, but seeing Jack's face swallowing his own umbrella was -- CC: • Do you pull the cord • -- cascadingCourtier CC he stood just before the door and grasped at the silver cord. He took a moment to ponder if this is what he really wanted. Then the image of Aaisha's face flashed through his mind again. He pulled the cord. -- CC: • A black ladderslides silently out of the door in the ceiling, dangling before you. You feel a sharp pain as the cord you pulled slices a thin papercut on the palm of your hand. Your blood quickly wells to the surface, and the cord retracts back up into the ceiling, stained cobalt. • -- cascadingCourtier CC he watched the cord retract. This was it. He took a quick glance at the empty room behind him, before looking at the ladder with determination and took to climbing it -- -- cascadingCourtier CC he faced forward at the wrungs, not quite able to look upwards -- CC: • After a few quick moments of climbing, you feel your hands place themselves not on metal, but on the soft tatami mats so common in east alternian movies. • -- cascadingCourtier CC he let his mind wander to everything he thought he knew on Outer Gods, readying for whatever deals they'd offer and the best way to get what he wanted over what they wanted. He knew he was fucked though. He pulled himself up into the chamber. he took to his knees on the mat just in front of the hole back down -- CC: • The room you are in is a glass dome, through which you can see everything. To one side is your own game, a bright glittering set of jewels sewn onto a fabric of black velvet. All around you can see other games, either being played, waiting for their players, or dark, and long dead. There are a dizzying number of them. • -- cascadingCourtier CC he took a short glance to spot his own game, looking for his planet in particular, the Land of Hatred. The name felt pretty appropriate right now -- CC: • Somewhere in the distance, you hear a ticking clock. Soon, the games are obscured by blackness that surrounds the glass dome completely. • -- cascadingCourtier CC hatred and ticking, just like his new home. He'd laugh if he wasn't nearly choking on fear. He took a breath to steady himself and steel his resolve -- CC: • An eye opens in the glass, flicking through numerous colors before settling on the same blue as Ramira's blood. • CC: • "A newcomer..." • CC: "...Yes" -- cascadingCourtier CC he only faced forward -- -- cascadingCourtier CC he knew better than to make eyecontact -- CC: • "The Oracle did not speak of a Newcomer." • CC: "I am here of my own volition" CC: "I apologize if I have disturbed you" CC: • "Disturbance implies I was busy. I am never busy." • CC: "Right, I suppose there's not much to do here in the void." CC: • You hear a feminine chuckle. • -- cascadingCourtier CC he does his best to remain impassive -- CC: • "Surely you have been warned?" The voice changes, and it sounds like Libby. "I've warned them. They will not come to you for power. I will carry them on my back to ensure their success before I let you touch them!" • CC: "I knew of you before the warnings and have strayed from the path even still. Unforeseen events have forced my hand to reach for yours." CC: • The voice is androgynous again, but still amused. "What do you want, then, Nyarla Aesona?" • CC: "Jack" CC: • "Jack? Which Jack?" • CC: "The Thief of Time and Lord of Doom. He roams through my session, hurting those I care about. I want the ability to make him suffer as he's made me to do so" CC: • "You do not know what you ask for." • CC: " I want to know what you'll ask of me in return for a means to slay him. What a mite of your power or knowledge worth in terms of my existence?" CC: • "You cannot slay him. Just as he will not be able to slay you, if you take this bargain." • CC: • "Those of us who master time are annoying like that. We are not perfect, but we are inevitable." • CC: "Can I protect those I care about from suffering caused by him?" CC: "What would you have in exchange for the power to defend my sessionmates?" CC: • "I have not decided. There are many things I could ask. Your subservience, your obedience..." The voice pauses, "Your love." There's a giggle. "What do you offer?" • CC: "I'll deliver Jack into your service and any others who would make me an enemy over th course of the game." CC: • "Jack does not interest us." • CC: • "Giving us your enemies is not a sacrifice on your part, boy." • CC: "Of course, how foolish of me. You mentioned subservience. What part of your will would you have me enact?" CC: • "A test perhaps? If you pass, I will give you a gift." • CC: "What would the test be? Might I ask of the gift, too?" CC: • "The gift will be the sword. The one that cuts through all madness and lies, revealing only the truths therein." • CC: "Truth itself can be maddening. I don't know that I can handle the truth" CC: "The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the troll mind to correlate all its contents." CC: "If anything, to weild that, knowing that you claim it reveals truth, would be a great sacrifice." CC: • "Nice try." • CC: "I wasn't trying anything. I figured the sword would be double edged in more than a literal sense" CC: • "No. It isn't. But you do not want it." • CC: "Not to reject a gift from an entity as great as you, I don't know even know what the cost of such a blade might be." CC: • "Completion of the test, as I said." • CC: • "The blade was one forged long ago, weilded by many heroes. It cuts through cheating." • CC: "I know not the test to attain it. I can't agree to take on an unnamed test, even with such a gracious reward." CC: "I'll pass on the spiel of a businesstroll, seeing as my existence is beyond miniscule to one such as you." CC: • "The test is that you will take the Oracle from Serios. Just as her culture demands. He gives her too much strength, and she is learning to resist us." • CC: "He and I have already fought with the outcome officially ending in my favor, doesn't she belong to me already by the rules of her culture?" CC: • "And yet you let him take her away. You must definitively win, and take her from him, by force if necessary." • CC: "Alright then. I will retain ownership of her. Though, what if I were to fail?" CC: • "Then you will not receive the sword, and we will give it to the other who has presented themselves to us." • CC: "The other?" CC: "So someone beat me to the punch?" CC: • "Someone else has asked, but he is not in the position to please us that you are." • CC: "Right, well I will do my best not to fail you. I will face Serios in combat and recieve the sword should I be victorious." CC: • "One other condition, to add." • CC: • "You must tell no one we have made this bargain." • CC: "I will not speak of what we have agreed upon here tonight." CC: "Though...this is only the test?" CC: • "Indeed. If you pass, you will be permitted to speak to me directly, and I can offer you real power, that cannot be taken from you as easily as disarming you of a sword." • CC: "I thank you for the opportunity." CC: • "You should go. Libby is waking. She will notice where you are." • CC: "Thank you again...and may I ask your name?" -- cascadingCourtier CC he stood finally and bowed, staying low. Still not even daring to look around -- CC: • "I have many names... You may call me Glissa." • CC: "I will go now. Farewell, Glissa." -- cascadingCourtier CC he stiffly arose, turned, and left out the way he came. -- CC: • You descend to the floor of Libby's office, and the ladder silently slips back into the ceilling, and the panel closes. Just as it does, Libby pushes open the door. "Nyarla? What are you doing up?" • CC: "Restless, sorry to intrude in your office." CC: "Are you feeling any better?" CC: • She rubs her head. "I heard one of them talking. Whispering." • CC: "Might be them still fucking around in your head. They really did a number on you." CC: • "Yes..." She presses her fingers to her lips. "Nyarla. I need you to do me a favor." • -- cascadingCourtier CC he raises an eyebrow -- CC: • "I know you and Serios fought, and now you know what that means. For me. I need you to formally reject me, as a partner, so that I can return to him without the worry." • CC: "Huh, so that is actually is a thing I can do?" CC: "Hehe, we had this whole idea that we would duel again, officially this time." CC: • "Yes. Technically, I'm cheating on you by remaining with him. I need you to reject me." • CC: • You hear Glissa's voice in your head. "Now is your chance, Nyarla Aesona." • CC: "Relax, It's hardly cheating on me. Besides, I rather like the notion of an official duel. We finally see where we stack up to each other. And you get your Violet General take down the lowly failed warrior. Hehe, if anything it'll put on a good show, we won't hurt each other." CC: "He's a violet blood and you should have seen the blow he struck on the Engineer, I doubt I'll win." CC: • "Promise me you won't hurt him, anyway. I..." her hands are shaking. "He is my everything, Nyarla." • -- cascadingCourtier CC he smiles -- CC: "I have a slightly better idea of what all that truly means now, we really hit the books back in the archive, hehe. I promise things will be fine." CC: • She beams. "Thank you for letting me stay with him." • CC: "I do plan to give him a challenge at least, I know he'll give his all in fighting for your honor. He really does love you." CC: "I kind of wonder why I took a walk instead of digging into that Magic book. Hell, maybe it'll give me an edge, provided it doesn't take my soul." CC: • "What magic book?" • CC: "A blue book I came across while we studied twink culture. Something about magic and circuity." CC: "I left it back in my room. Don't worry, Meira, I think, already gave me the rundown that that stuff isn't to be attempted." CC: • "Aah, yes. It's nto really magic. We just have computer circuitry for writing. It interacts with computer systems." • CC: "Oh, seriously? That's lame, I was hoping for some kind of advantage with the Mage stuff." CC: "I mean, it's not lame, that actually sounds pretty cool, but still." CC: • "For that you have to learn real magic, or have a tool to focus your power." She giggles. "There used to be this sword, it was amazing. Heroes of time used it to slice through advantages other players had made themselves. Shenanicite, time shenanigans, power. A magic user who wielded that would be nigh unstoppable." • CC: • She laughs. "I wonder why I thought of that. I haven't even seen the thing in ages." • -- cascadingCourtier CC he chuckled along with her -- CC: "Hehe, where do I even begin learning magic, do I just carve up a wooden wand or something?" CC: • She giggles. "Every land has magic hidden somewhere within." • CC: "Once I'm a powerful wizard, I'll be sure to go questing for the magic sword too." CC: "I'm a Mage, my land has got to be teeming with magic when I get there" CC: • Glissa whispers. "Why are you dallying? She is technically yours, now. Why do you not act?" • -- cascadingCourtier CC he projects his thoughts back "What do you even want me to do? She's mine and I'll win against Serios and keep her" -- CC: • Libby shrugs. "Time player lands are weird. They often have magic you have to search through billions of years of time to find." • CC: • Glissa whispers. "You lack the courage of your convictions. I am displeased." A loud Thump can be heard against the walls. • -- cascadingCourtier CC he thinks back, "She could kill me if she wanted. That's actually allowed, I have to be subtle and actually win her over. I'll neglect her after the duel, let her will crumble slowly." -- -- cascadingCourtier CC he looks up at the wall the thump came from -- CC: • Glissa hisses. "That isn't the bargain we struck." • -- cascadingCourtier CC thinking. "Let's go over this again since the terms weren't clear to me, I apologize. I win the duel and retain ownership of her, right?" -- CC: • "You do not have to duel at all, if you do this now. If you do not, then I know you had no intention of doing as you were instructed, and we give the sword to Jack." • -- cascadingCourtier CC thinking "What do you even want me to do? She really can kill me like it's nothing. Between her and the handmaidens and Serios who just may be a match for me, my hands are actually tied." -- -- cascadingCourtier CC "I have to do this the fair way, I can't even use the sword after double death, can I?" -- CC: • "You are a coward." Glissa's voice has a sense of finality, to it. • CC: • Libby frowns. "What is going on." • -- cascadingCourtier CC "FINE, what would you have me do?" -- CC: "Jack troubles me" CC: • "Howso?" Libby tilts her head. • CC: • "Make her yours, Nyarla." The horrorterror sounds irritated, now. • -- cascadingCourtier CC "This is hardly the proper way to go about with seduction and reminder that I will die and the deal will be for nothing. Just give me some time, I'll make her mine, I promise." -- -- cascadingCourtier CC he slides closer a bit closer to her -- CC: "Nothing in particular, just frustrating looking at our chances." CC: "Just wish I could put it out of mind, but he's even reached out to my sprite." CC: • "Yes, he does that. He has methods of controlling them." Libby sighs. • CC: • Glissa laughs. "Do as you are told, or we will see that Jack's preview comes to pass." The thump can be heard again. • -- cascadingCourtier CC slides even closer -- CC: "Hey, wanna take a walk?" CC: "I never did get the tour of the rest of this place." -- cascadingCourtier CC "I am, I promise you." -- CC: • Libby shrugs. "There's not much to see. Not that would interest you, anyway." • CC: "She has feelings for me in there, just let me wake them up, only way this has a feasible chance." CC: ((/me CC: "Oh come on, I'm sure it'll be plenty interesting." -- cascadingCourtier CC he smiles and nudges her gently -- CC: "Like I said, this place is nice, I like it." CC: "I wish I could have given you the full tour back when you came to my hive." CC: • Glissa hisses. "You have ten minutes. If I am not satisfied, Aaisha is next." • CC: • Libby shakes her head. "You didn't want me around. And most of this place is storage." • CC: "Psssh, nah, I'm sure it'll be fun, we can take a load off, y'know?" CC: "Heh, maybe share a drink if that'd make it interesting." CC: • "We can drink here. I'm not going to wander when they're so agitated." She trembles at another thump on the walls. • -- cascadingCourtier CC "Just let me work. That kind of thing is what drove me to you in the first place." -- CC: • "7 minutes" Glissa's voice is becoming distorted. • CC: "Yeah, a drink here is good too, they sure sound rowdy though." CC: "Where are the soporifics?" CC: • Libby giggles and reaches into a cabinet. "This is a bit alcoholic. It helps me sleep." She pours a glass for each of you. • CC: "Pssh, got any Twink Jack Daniels in there?" -- cascadingCourtier CC he knocks back the glass in one go -- CC: • "As if you can handle it." She sips her drink slowly. • -- cascadingCourtier CC he grins -- CC: "Sounds like a drinking contest" CC: • "Sounds like you have sixty seconds," Glissa hisses. • CC: • "And Aaisha will pay the price." You hear glissa's cackle. • CC: • LIbby shakes her head. "I need to sleep." • CC: • "Nyarla, are you trying to hit on me?" She seems irritated. • CC: "...I can't help it, there are still some feelings there." CC: "Your love was never entirely unrequitted for me" -- cascadingCourtier CC he moves to kiss her -- -- cascadingCourtier CC no, he does Kiss her -- CC: • Libby stumbles, and tries to push him away. "N-Nyarla! I'm with Serios." • -- cascadingCourtier CC he grabs hold of her wrist, gently though -- CC: "Libby, please... CC: "You even tried to seduce me once while awaiting him. Your primer wasn't even filled correctly" CC: "There's no harm in a little post duel rendezvous" CC: • "No, you don't love me. You love Aaisha. And he did. He did it after but he did." Tears are leaking out of her bandages. • -- cascadingCourtier CC he's crying too by this point -- CC: • "Nyarla, let me go." • -- cascadingCourtier CC he doesn't -- -- cascadingCourtier CC he doesn't do anything else though -- CC: • She tries to wriggle out of his arms. "You promised. Reject me. Right now." • -- cascadingCourtier CC "THIS INS'T PART OF THE BARGAIN" -- CC: • Glissa's voice sounds hard as stone. "Coward." • -- cascadingCourtier CC "WE HAD CLEAR TERMS, I ONLY HAVE TO WIN THE DUEL. JUST HOLD TO YOUR DAMN WORD." -- CC: • "I said nothing about a duel." • CC: • Libby tries to pull away again. • already own her though...This isn't cowardice, it's lack of maliciousness. This act doesn't follow the explicit terms of the bargain." -- CC: • "I have altered the bargain. Pray I do not alter it further." • CC: • "Break her, Nyarla Aesona. Or we break Aaisha." • -- cascadingCourtier CC it's like a switch and roughly tugs her back in close to him -- CC: "I order you to quit fighting" I won't make you sleep with me, but you are MY partner now. I will have your obedience just as your culture dictates." -- cascadingCourtier CC "She's broken, it's done." CC: "...Wish Serios luck" Category:Libby Category:Glissa Category:Nyarla